by Logan Petty
They hurried to the top of the shaft as fast as they could. Loraleth shouted from the back of the convoy.
"Sawain! It's getting hotter in here!"
He looked down in time to see a flood of magma splash against the bottom of the shaft and start rising. Panic fought against his resolve as he yelled back.
"Move faster!"
The Forgemaster scrambled onto a solid surface above and disappeared from sight. Sawain reached the top next and found the dwarf etching a series of runes with his finger into the stone wall. The chandler carrying Naralei reached the chamber next, followed by Kyra, Mari and Timbrell as they hurried off the quickly heating ladder. Finally, Violet, the other Chandler escorts, and Loraleth reached the top as the Forgemaster completed his circle of runes. He pushed against them and the wall moved. It opened into a doorway that spilled light and heat into the room.
They all rushed outside into the open city. Sawain noticed immediately something had changed. No vampyr rushed them, no ghost stood in their path as they ran down the rubble strewn streets. They had to turn down side alleys as the roads they took ended in a collapsed building's grave. Bodies lay motionless among the debris and flames. The screams of the living seemed distant, and few. As they reached the summit of this level, what Sawain saw caused him to freeze.
Below him, a lake of molten rock replaced the World Forge. Above, the lavender dragon rained fire and lightning upon the city, all while hurling a massive glaive through entire buildings. Stone and steel crashed down upon the survivors as the pale blades of the Drougetath absorbed any soul that tried to escape to the realm beyond. Sawain looked around for a way to fight back. He noticed that Malsivith hovered just below the suspended plaza midway up the city. He shouted over the noise of devastation.
"Lora, can you get me up there fast?"
She followed his gaze, the nodded, "Sure, no problem."
"Good. The rest of you, start making your way to the top of the city. That magma is rising and we don't know it it will stop. Just get to safety and let me deal with Malsivith."
Kyra shook her head, "No way. We are a team, Sawain. Let us help you."
"You can help me by getting to safety so I can concentrate on this fight!"
Kyra opened her mouth to protest as Sawain grabbed Loraleth's hand. She glanced at Kyra, color rising in her cheeks. Sawain tugged at her.
"Let's go. That dragon won't stop his killing spree on his own."
She nodded, then pulled both of them into the alternate universe she employed to shadowstep through. Sawain’s guts inverted, causing him to vomit upon entry. Loraleth pointed at the pale glowing form of Malsivith.
"Be careful, Sawain. Don't assume he can't see you while in Penumbra. Malsivith is attuned to the realms of spirits."
"I don't care if he sees it coming," Sawain said as his stomach unknotted itself. "Just get me in his face."
Loraleth nodded then readied herself for a jump. The two soared upward through the air, narrowly avoiding a swipe from Sturmedge as they closed in on the dragon. As they came close, Sawain drew Giltglim with his free hand. Loraleth shadowstepped back into the material plane as she threw Sawain forward. He popped back into existence as he sped toward the dragon's face.
"MALSIVITH!"
His opponent swiveled his head in surprise as Sawain thrust his sword at his eye. It never made contact as Malsivith's free hand swatted Sawain away. He flew backward, but Loraleth redirected her trajectory and managed to pop out of Penumbra long enough to catch him and resubmerge as a torrent of flame ignited the air around them. Fortunately, Malsivith's fiery breath could not transcend the veil between worlds. However, the deadly Drougetath whirred toward them, slicing through material and ethereal alike. Malsivith twisted a claw and the glaive chased after the two assailants. Loraleth popped back into the mundane realm long enough to drop Sawain onto the plaza above Malsivith before returning to Penumbra in a puff of shadows.
The platform he stood on shook violently as the oversized blade of Sturmedge pierced it from below, shattering it as Malsivith broke through like an enraged bull. Sawain bounded off of the boulder he stood on and met head on with Sturmedge. Giltglim flashed with arcane might as it clashed with the divine blade. A concussive blast like thunder threw Sawain backwards as electricity arced through him. He noticed, to his surprise, that it did not burn him, but instead seemed to be drawn into his totem. Malsivith struck again with unnaturally fast reflexes, thrusting his blade at Sawain's chest. The dragon’s opponent vanished in a cloud of darkness, then reappeared above his head a moment later, propelled by Loraleth.
They clashed again and again as Drougetath danced around Malsivith, chasing Loraleth between realms. More than once, Sawain narrowly escaped death by skimming the top of the magical glaive as he wove in and out of Penumbra, taking advantage of its strange physics to manipulate his trajectory in the natural realm. Loraleth would grab him by the waist and twirl him back to the safety of shadows as Malsivith slashed and stabbed, filling the air with fire and lightning.
"HOLD STILL, PESKY FLIES! LET THIS GAME OF YOURS END!"
"What's wrong, Malsivith?" Sawain asked as he reappeared at his left shoulder, driving the blade of giltglim into his scaly armor, "Don't you like dancing?"
The dragon breathed a jet of flame at Sawain that seared the wound in his shoulder while forcing his opponent to bounce backward.
"YOU ARE NOT WORTHY TO DANCE WITH A GOD!"
He smirked as Loraleth caught him, "I'll keep that in mind for when I next meet one."
As they dove back into Penumbra, Malsivith returned his smirk, "HUBRIS IS YOUR DOWNFALL, SWERDBREKKER."
Sawain gasped as they dove through the shadows into a cage of ghostly spears that surrounded them at every angle. Loraleth immediately jumped back into the natural realm and kicked off of Sawain just as Drougetath grazed her hip. She screamed in surprise and pain as Malsivith drove Sturmedge at her.
Lightning flashed as Sawain managed to rebound off a dangling piece of the plaza and between Loraleth and a decidedly fatal blow. Sturmedge ripped through his shoulder, filling him with electricity, more than his totem could absorb all at once. It rippled through him, searing his sinews and joints, forcing his jaw to clench. He dropped Giltglim, unable to hold onto it anymore.
Loraleth hit a piece of still suspended masonry, which dazed her on impact. She lay where she landed breathless as Malsivith lifted Sawain up on the tip of Sturmedge. His deep, rumbling laughter quickly heightened in pitch as he examined his catch.
"FINALLY, THE MIGHTY SWERDBREKKER, HERO OF HAMMERHOLD, BELONGS TO ME! MY FAVORITE PIECES IN MY COLLECTION ARE THE HEROES WHO I CUT DOWN AT THE PEAK OF THEIR PROMISING CAREERS. YOU SHALL BE ITS CROWNING JEWEL."
Sawain winced as his jaw unclenched, "You talk too much, you know that?"
He grabbed both sides of the divine blade with his palms and pulled himself off of it. In his shock, Malsivith flicked his sword downward, flinging Sawain toward the rising lake of magma below. Loraleth gasped as she tried to shadowstep to save him. Malsivith tutted loudly.
"DID YOU THINK I FORGOT ABOUT YOU, LITTLE ELF? YOUR DEATH SHALL BE PAINFUL AND YOUR TORMENTS A THOUSANDFOLD IN MY SERVICE!"
She reappeared in the same spot, several stab wounds in her legs from Malsivith’s Penumbral spell as Drougetath flew toward her. Sawain watched helplessly as he plummeted toward a fiery death. The part of the shattered plaza she sat upon exploded as the glaive ploughed through it.
"LORA!"
Someone materialized behind Sawain and pulled him into Penumbra. He felt himself rising quickly, his insides still trying to right themselves as he went. A familiar voice quipped in his ear as he felt the press of Gilglim's hilt in his hand.
"Hey, when are you going to stop losing all your legendary magical weapons? It's getting old you know."
"Banth?"
The elf snorted as he threw Sawain through the air, "Don't act so happy to see me. We have a dragon to kill first."
Sawain reapp
eared in the physical realm, barreling toward Malsivith's back. He readied his blade and aimed for his spine as he shot toward him like an arrow.
Malsivith flicked his tail like a whip. It caught Sawain in the side, knocking him off course. He spun through the air as the dragon's laughter rolled thunderously while he turned on the Swerdbrekker.
"FOOLISH LITTLE FLY! YOU CANNOT ESCAPE MY SIGHT! I SEE ALL IN THIS REALM AND BEYOND!"
"Did you see this coming?"
"WHA-"
Kyra blasted Malsivith point-blank in the face with a binding spell that wove magical runes across his muzzle and neck. She glowed with her own runic tattoos all over her body, glowing through her clothes.
"Turns out a simple invisibility spell still works against gods. Now, I'm going to have to ask you to stop moving."
The binding spell wrapped itself around his arms, chest and wings, freezing him in place. Kyra hovered out of his gaze and watched as Loraleth reappeared in time to catch Sawain.
"Okay Swerdbrekker," Loraleth muttered through gritted teeth, "Put a sword in this guy so we can get out of here."
"Gladly," He half-laughed as she launched him at Malsivith's chest.
He soared at the dragon, magic sword poised to strike. His foe watched helplessly as he struggled against the binding spell.
"Malsivith! For your crimes against Hammerhold and your blasphemy against the gods, I strike you down! I will deliver you unto them, that you may answer for what you have done!"
Sawain thrust Giltglim at Malsivith's chest. An explosion of thunder answered him as Sturmedge struck at him with swift fury. Kyra screamed as Malsivith shattered her spell. The Swerdbrekker managed to twist in time to parry Sturmedge, but the sheer force of the attack knocked the breath out of him as he again plummeted downward.
"I ANSWER TO NO GOD. THEY SHALL ANSWER TO ME! BUT NOT BEFORE YOU GROVEL AT MY FEET!"
Malsivith's wings spread wide as Drougetath hovered above his head like a profane halo. He stretched out his sword-clad hand to the sky.
"ALL WHO STAND BEFORE THE DIVINE MAJESTY OF MALSIVITH SHALL DIE, STARTING WITH THE REST OF THIS DISGUSTING CITY!"
Drougetath began spinning rapidly as Sturmedge released a terrible storm upon the upper levels of Caer Teallagh. Thousands of bolts of arcane light shot from Drougetath and showered the city with destruction. The mountain itself cracked against the assault as houses and towers crumbled into the rising sea of magma.
"NONE MAY LIVE WHO CHALLENGE MY RIGHT TO RULE! ALL WILL DIE THIS DAY!"
In his show of power, Malsivith took his attention off his most dangerous opponent. Loraleth caught Sawain by the hand and pulled him up to the dragon's eye level. He launched himself at Malsivith, who barely managed to stop him in time. The lightning storm subsided as Loraleth and Banthan threw Sawain around like a living weapon. He came at Malsivith at every angle, seemingly undeterred by the dragon's divine weapons. The glaive only cut through thin air every time it passed Sawain. Sturmedge moved with increasing sluggishness as the Swerdbrekker's intensity amplified. Blow after blow, Giltglim bounced harmlessly off the dragon's defenses, yet never hesitated to strike. Malsivith roared in frustration.
"WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ME?"
"You forgot two very important things, Malsivith." Sawain said as he clashed against his blade.
"You are not a god, and thus you cannot wield a god's weapon unprepared. Second..."
Sawain let go of Giltlglim, dropping it to Loraleth below him. He grabbed the blade of Sturmedge with both hands again.
"This sword does not belong to you. In the name of Turin, I shall reclaim what is rightfully mine!"
Sawain heaved with all his might. Malsivith screamed in rage and fear as the blade unraveled itself from around his hand, leaving only a charred claw behind. Lightning arced through Sawain as the holy blade melded into his arm, aligning with his foci. Strength he'd never imagined possible coursed through him. When he spoke, his voice boomed with the authority of a god.
"Your hour has come, Malsivith! I am the Swerdbrekker, Champion of Turin and Herald of your demise!"
Chapter Twenty Two:
Malsivith stared at the newly realized Champion of Turin, floating before him on wings of pure electricity, then at his charred claw. He had ascended to godhood, and mere moments later, this... Teenager stole it from him. The thought of this trespass against his deity infuriated him.
"HOW DARE YOU DEFY ME, YOU INSECT! I AM A DRAGON! I AM A GOD!"
"Not anymore," the Swerdbrekker explained as if scolding a child, "Your power has been stripped and you must now face judgment."
Malsivith chuckled, panic seeping through his shattered facade, "YOUR WORDS ARE DULL AS YOUR WIT, BOY!"
Lightning flashed as Sawain raised his crackling blade and pointed it at the dragon's chest, "May the gods deal justly with you."
He flew at Malsivith with terrifying speed. The dragon smirked. Sawain heard the sound of air splitting apart from his blindside and twisted to meet the new threat. Drougetath bounced off his blade, missing its mark by a fraction of an instant. The force of the blow knocked Sawain off course. As he tried to recover, the clenched fist of the dragon, which was the size of his entire body, smashed into him, knocking the wind out of him.
The Swerdbreaker crashed downward, hitting a shattered stone bridge that jutted from the ledge of an upper level of the city. He recovered in time as Malsivith's fiery breath washed over his landing spot. Sawain rolled to the underside of the bridge and hovered there, waiting out the firestorm. While Malsivith fought to regain his breath, Sawain shot from his hiding spot, while watching for the deadly glaive.
As the mighty clash between the dragon and the scion of Turin raged on, Sawain's friends raced to outpace the rising magma. They dashed up flights of stairs and fought off straggling groups of vampyr as they fled for safety. Mari and Timbrell followed closely behind the Forgemaster as he swore time after time that the rubble strewn alleys he led them down were once shortcuts.
As they turned another corner, a puddle of magma trickled into the path before them, setting anything combustible ablaze. They turned to flee, but found that their return path was blocked by the deadly liquid flames as well. The Forgemaster rubbed his head sorrowfully.
"Well, lads and lassies. This is it. I'm sorry I failed to get us to safety."
A torrent of ice splashed over the magma, turning it instantly into smoldering black rock. Songrandir, Eldingbál and the other drakes scurried into the alleyway from above. Mari jumped at Songrandir and hugged her, planting a big kiss on her snout as she quickly climbed onto her drake's back. She motioned for the rest of the party to get on the other drakes as Songrandir scurried up the stone wall. The others quickly followed suit without question and held on tight as the drakes shuttled them to safety onto the rubble-strewn level above.
Naralei, who had been unconscious the whole time, jolted awake with a moan of pain. She opened her eyes and found herself slung across Eldingbál's back. Her own drake flicked her tongue across the elf's face. It was a quirk she had that expressed concern. Naralei patted her face as she struggled to sit upright. She looked at the group of mostly strangers she was with, but then saw Mari and Timbrell.
"Mari! You're alright! and Timbrell? Wait, what's going on? Where's Banthan? and Sawain? Well, everyone for that matter."
Naralei ventured a glance at the battle above, "That's... Malsivith? Wait, that's Sawain?!"
The mound of stone behind them shifted, causing everyone to reach for their weapons. A massive golem made of shining silver metal rose from the debris. Naralei groaned.
"Are we just cursed to never catch a break?"
"Relax," a familiar voice crooned from behind her, "He's on our side."
Naralei shifted around to find Loraleth standing beside her. She instantly threw herself onto her friend, despite th
e tremendous pain that shot through her body, and wrapped her arms around her.
"Lora?! Is this real? Am I dead?"
Loraleth chuckled as she returned Naralei's hug, "It's real, and you're not dead. Not yet at least."
"Ugh, I feel like I just had a building dropped on my head," Magina griped as she climbed out of the golem's arms.
"You did, dear! It hurt a lot! Or I imagine it would have if I could've felt it!"
She patted Vaghn's knee cap as she stared up at the battle that ensued above their heads, "Thanks, tin man, but I think we should get out of here."
Loraleth broke free of Naralei's grasp as she moved toward the dwarfess, "Good to see you two well, or as well as all things can be right now. I agree with your sentiment. Sawain ordered a mass retreat, so we are all heading to the top of the mountain. Care to join us?"
Vaghn laughed boisterously, "Beats getting smelted! Let's pound some ground!"
Everyone stared at the metal man a moment before Magina translated, "That's Hill Dwarf for we should start running."
Meanwhile, in the skies of the city, Malsivith continued his battle with the Swerdbrekker. Drougetath returned to the dragon, who caught it and braced to protect himself against Sawain's attack. The mountain trembled as the booming thunder of Sturmedge battered Malsivith's defenses. Sawain released one strike after another effortlessly as the dragon struggled to keep up, unable to return with a push of his own. Even when he released his dragonfire, Sawain just would not hold still long enough to burn to ashes. Malsivith felt something creeping up his spine into the base of his skull. It tingled like electricity, yet chilled him to the bone. It stole the air from his lungs. As the boy with the blessing of the gods clashed against him, clearly winning this fight, he grew afraid. He summoned the last of the souls within Drougetath, turning them into a ghostly shield that shuddered against the Swerdbrekker’s assault.